Entertainment

Groundbreaking performer Jose Feliciano to perform at Plaza Theatre

Jose Feliciano will perform songs in English and Spanish during his concert Saturday at the Plaza Theatre.

Most people know Jose Feliciano for one or more of five things.

He's blind. He sings and plays guitar -- really well. And he's readily identified with three songs -- his Latin interpretation of the Doors' "Light My Fire," his unique and once controversial version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," and his ubiquitous Christmas song, "Feliz Navidad."

Those songs helped thrust Feliciano onto the U.S. cultural landscape in the 1960s and '70s, making the Puerto Rican-born artist a radio staple, in-demand TV guest and one of the few Latin crossover acts of the time.

Long before Shakira, Ricky Martin and Pitbull propelled Latin music to a wider audience, Feliciano has recorded and released songs in English and Spanish.

Reporter
Doug Pullen

"Light My Fire" was a stunning Latin reworking of the Doors' signature song. "Feliz Navidad" is a holiday staple, chosen for the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009.

"It's very, very difficult to create a traditional Christmas record. That's almost unheard of," said George Reynoso, the former local DJ who owns All That Music & Video.

"There's records that come and go, but his is always around because it's one of those seasonal Christmas records that always stands the test of time," Reynoso said.

Feliciano doesn't appear on TV or make headlines the way he used to, but he never stopped writing, recording and performing. He'll perform Saturday at the Plaza Theatre, his first area appearance since a Las Cruces show in 2005.

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"People forget," Feliciano said from his home in Connecticut. "I've been here so long that I don't make news too much, because people take what I do for granted."

But he has made some news, mostly for accolades and awards. The singer, songwriter and guitarist, who has released nearly 60 albums (half of which are in Spanish), has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and eight Grammy Awards (six for Spanish recordings).

He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2011. This year, he performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington, D.C., and was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Latin Music Songwriters Hall of Fame in Miami Beach.

At 67, the Puerto Rican-born Feliciano, who was born with glaucoma-related blindness, doesn't feel like he's lost a step.

"I still feel the way I always have, young and full of energy and pep," he said, adding that his voice is a little deeper and his guitar playing more "methodical" than it used to be.

"When I was young, I used to come out like a house on fire. My attention then was that of a racehorse. Look how fast I can run," he said of his six-string work. These days, "I don't have to be fast to be good. I don't have to impress anybody. I don't have to prove anything."

Feliciano also hasn't lost his famous sense of humor, which came in handy when longtime Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell asked him to sing the national anthem for the fifth game of the 1968 World Series between the Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals.

It was an unconventional version for the time, combining Latin and jazz elements. It was loved by some, hated by many. Unique versions are common today. They weren't back then.

"Initially it was kind of a jolt ...," Reynoso said. "The more progressive crowd accepted it, but some of the older crowd said basically it was a desecration."

"They wanted to deport me," Feliciano recalled of the reaction. "I went through a lot of s---. But it's bittersweet. If you ask me to do it, I do it. It's a part of my life in one sense, but I'm still recording and doing concerts."

Feliciano weathered the storm pretty well. He returned to Detroit this year to perform the anthem for a 45th-anniversary celebration of the Tigers' World Series victory. Detroit is also where the baseball-loving singer met his wife, Susan, with whom he has three children.

When he's not on the road, he works five hours a day at the recording studio in their Connecticut home. He recently cut a duet of "Adoro" with Jose Carreras, and an insrumental version of the Ventures' "Perfidia" for an album to benefit Carreras' leukemia foundation.

Feliciano also has written and recorded a new song, "I Have Found the Love," which he describes as "really funky, really nice." He's got a Spanish-language album in the can, another in the works and an album of interpretations of his favorite Frank Sinatra records that's also awaiting release. Last year, Feliciano released "The King ... by Jose Feliciano," his takes on 12 Elvis classics.

"Record companies don't have the control they did on artists," Feliciano said. "With me, I don't sit around waiting for a record company to call and say, 'We want you to do this.' "

Feliciano will be backed by his five-piece band on Saturday. He plans to perform songs in English and Spanish, something he's done throughout his nearly 50-year career.

The career has lasted this long, he said, because people still like listening to his recordings and going to his concerts.

"I love my fans," Feliciano said. "If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be where I am, and I am truly happy with my fans. I'm just thankful I'm still doing what I'm doing."

Doug Pullen may be reached at dpullen@elpasotimes.com; 546-6397. Read Pullen My Blog at elpasotimes.com/blogs. Follow him on Twitter @dougpullen and Facebook at facebook.com/dougpulleneptimes.

Make plans

Who: Jose Feliciano.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Plaza Theatre.

How much: $35, $45, $55 and $99, plus service charges, at the box office and through Ticketmaster outlets, 800-745-3000 and ticketmaster.com.